FUSION's Mission Statement

What is our goal? Why is this Forum necessary?

Looking into Vermeer’s painting The Astronomer, we are presented with a man half sitting half standing before a desk with papers and books open in front of him. He reaches out with his right hand towards the globe that occupies the farthest corner of his desk, stretching outward, almost making contact with its surface. He hovers there, transfixed by the image of our world, grasping the table with his other hand as if to steady himself and keep him grounded in the reality before him as he reaches out towards a concept of a greater reality beyond him. A golden light streams through the window across from him illuminating his face and his studies, giving them an almost divine quality.

In the past forty years there has been incredible progress in the worlds of science and technology. Society is forever changed by inventions like the computer, space travel, the Internet, cloning and genetic engineering. As technology advances, the rift between those who study the science behind the mechanisms of our everyday lives and those who study the social and historical implications of those inventions grows. Technology has progressed beyond the average humanists’ understanding. Or has it? Why has there not been an attempt at a modern day portrait like that of Vermeer’s scientist (be it visual or literary) that has aimed to tie together two of the most fundamental sciences our society today is based on? How can social science be tied to mechanical science? Why is there such a significant separation between the two in modern society? FUSION aims to address these questions, and offer a forum where we can talk about the extent to which humanists and scientists can understand each other now that technology has progressed to the point where its social and technological implications are aspects of enormous debate. FUSION aims to bridge the gap that has resulted from such significant scientific progress and lack of understanding between those who study the technological foundations on which these recent developments are based, and those who study the social and societal aspects of these developments. We want to understand what led to this separation, when clearly, as we can see through Vermeer’s depiction of the astronomer, art and science were not always so distanced. It is too often today that we do not interact with our scientific and humanist counterparts. In this day and age, can we bring these two distinct and quite separate groups together? FUSION aims to try.

-- Mission Statement written by Dena Rothstein '05, FUSION Co-founder